Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics Quick Quiz Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics Aristotle uses the distinction between intrinsic and instrumental goods to find a way to combat militarism is ancient Greece. the best or highest good for humans. who is a friend and who is an enemy. inner peace while maintaining the military. honor without economic failure.

Virtue Ethics We seek happiness, according to Aristotle, only as a means to goodness. as a means to a virtue-filled life. as an end, meaning, as a way to escape reincarnation. for the afterlife, never as an end in this life. for its own sake, and never as a means to something else.

Virtue Ethics Aristotle says that “the good of an eye is seeing, and the eye is good if it sees well.” He then reasons, by analogy, we can all see how nature makes things good. a good human will see, and see well. a good human will reason, and reason well. a good human will always use the power of sight for a good cause. we can test a moral theory only by its unique function.

Virtue Ethics Aristotle’s Ethics are called Nichomachean because … Nichomachea means flourishing Nichomachea means virtue-filled life Nichomachis is Aristotle’s home town Nichomachum is Greek for “good” Nichomachus compiled Aristotle’s notes

Virtue Ethics Rational animal is a better definition of humans than featherless biped because ‘Featherless biped’ is a mere biological definition Rationality is better than Featherlessness Animality is better than bipedalism It tells you more about what is important to know about humans It’s not; featherless biped is better (most unique)

Virtue Ethics Aristotle’s view of happiness is weird because he thinks it … depends on friendship is an activity, not a condition belongs to adults, not children is mysterious to happy people is a road, not a destination

Virtue Ethics For Aristotle, being moral is … more important than being happy only important if you value it only important as a means to happiness part of happiness, but not the most important part part of happiness, and the most important part

Virtue Ethics For Aristotle, if you grew up in a crack house, you will need Proof of what actions are moral Proof of what actions are immoral No proof because unhappiness teaches morality To study something else; proof can’t make up for lack of experience To study something else; bad people are not fit students of ethics

Virtue Ethics Which of these virtues is most important? Temperance Courage Prudence Generosity Wit

Virtue Ethics Moral virtues are: Multi-track dispositions Established by nature Habits learned in childhood Never lost once established Difficult to retain

Virtue Ethics If you returned that Bee Gees CD to your sister on time, but found it very difficult to do so, you are Continent Incontinent Vicious Virtuous Malicious

Virtue Ethics If you tried to return that Bee Gees CD to your sister on time, but failed because “it’s just soooo good!”, you are Continent Incontinent Vicious Virtuous Malicious

Virtue Ethics Moral virtue is better than intellectual virtue because It is more god-like It depends less on “things” Its pleasure is more constant It isn’t better; it is too stressful and so involves hardship It isn’t better; it depends on others and so isn’t self-sufficient

Answers 1. Title slide 2. B 3. E 4. C 5. E 6. D 7. B 8. D 9. D 10. C